Zira
Zira is the main antagonist of the direct-to-video Disney film The Lion King II: Simba's Pride. She is a lean lioness and the leader of the Outsiders, a pride of lions that were banished from the Pridelands for supporting the tyrannical rule of Scar even after his death. Devious, cunning and vengeful, Zira plots to kill Simba and have her youngest son Kovu take his place as king of Pride Rock. She is voiced by Suzanne Pleshette. History Zira first appears when Kovu runs off into the Pridelands and meets Kiara, Simba's daughter. She witnesses the playful interaction between the two cubs and growls in anger after Kiara reveals her identity to Kovu. After Simba shows up and roars at Kovu, Zira puts her forearms protectively in front of Kovu, and exchanges bitter words towards Simba. In a mocking gesture of Simba's demand she pay the penalty for trespassing, she nudges Kovu forward as Simba's "pound of flesh", knowing he would not bring himself to kill the cub due to his better nature. After the younger lion tells them to leave Zira approaches him and darkly tells him their business has just begun and grants Kiara a knowingly malicious glare; despite this, Zira walks off with Simba unscathed. After returning home, Zira proceeds to let out her wrath on Nuka and Kovu, sardonically mocking the idea that Kovu tried to make friends with Kiara so he could get him and his family close to Simba (though this was not the reality of the situation). It is only when Zira announces these words that she realizes it may very well be a good idea. After praising Kovu for giving her the catalyst to her revenge, she coos the cub to sleep and then proceeds to outline her epic dreams. Zira then trained Kovu as a killer with hate in his heart for Simba. When he became a young adult she engineered a plan to start a fire so that Kovu could save Kiara's life and get close to Simba, so as to gain his trust and eventually kill him. She observed Kovu from a distance, pleased with the progress of the plan and that everything was going according to her scheme. However, Vitani reported that Kovu and Kiara had fallen in love, and as a result, Kovu was having second thoughts about trying to levy murder onto Simba. Zira was determined to continue with her plan though, and she quickly devised a plan to corner Simba and Kovu in a heavily eroded, dusty part of the Pridelands, purposefully leading Simba to believe Kovu was bent on killing Simba. However, when Kovu went against his mother's wishes to kill Simba, Nuka tried to carry it out instead to gain his mother's attention and approval. However, he ended up being crushed by the falling logs and dying, and ironically, it was through his death that he finally gained the attention and affection of his mother. Zira deeply mourned her son's death, silently asking Scar to watch over Nuka in heaven. Her grief turned to pure wrath and she slashes Kovu across the eye, giving him a vertical wound identical to Scar's. After her initial shock, Zira scolded Kovu for causing the death of Nuka by not lifting a paw to kill Simba, therefore having a part in Nuka's demise. Zira, furious at Simba's "corruption" of Kovu, then declared open war on Simba, and launched an attack on Pride Rock, using the opportunity of Simba's injured state from being hurled into rocks and attacked by the Outlanders. Zira arrived at the edge of Pride Rock with her army, rejecting Simba's last chance offer to return home and avert the confrontation, and soon an intense battle begins between the two factions. Before Zira and Simba can face off in what will inevitably be a blood-soaked skirmish, Kovu and Kiara intervene, confronting their respective parents from killing the other which she and Simba tell them to step aside. Kiara is able to make Simba stop the battle by telling him that their two factions, despite their ethical scale and deep hate they have for one another, are the same. Death Kiara and Kovu succeed in averting the bloodshed and the Outsiders abandon Zira to return to Pride Rock. Refusing to let go of her hatred, Zira lunges at Simba only for Kiara to come to her father's defence. The two lionesses tumble over a cliff just as the dam beneath them breaks, causing the river to flow rapidly. As Zira clings to the cliff edge, Kiara offers to help her up. However, Zira's pride and hate will not allow her to be rescued by her rival's daughter, and she rejects Kiara's help, only to finally fall off the cliff and into the water and be washed away with the current. Category:Animated Characters Category:Movie Deaths Category:Cartoon Characters Category:Animals Category:Main Characters Category:Disney Characters Category:Villains Category:The Lion King II: Simba's Pride Category:Last to Go Category:Death by Falling Category:Death by Drowning